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In the Week 9 edition of Thursday Night Football, the Baltimore Ravens play host to the Jacksonville Jaguars at M&T Bank Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 8:20 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed live on Amazon Prime, with live coverage also available via the CBS Sports App. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Jaguars enter the contest as 9.5-point favorites with an over/under set at 39.5.
Ravens Face Offense Crisis Without Jackson and Huntley
Baltimore comes into the matchup following a devastating loss to the Buffalo Bills. In that game, Lamar Jackson returned from an ankle injury only to get hurt again on his first play. The Ravens also lost backup Tyler Huntley, leaving their offense heavily depleted heading into Thursday night. Emergency third-string quarterback Joe Fagnano, an undrafted free agent from UConn, will make the start after completing 10-of-21 passes for 91 yards and an interception against Buffalo.
With their passing game severely limited, the Ravens are expected to rely heavily on Derrick Henry and the running game. However, Henry has struggled recently with 156 yards and a touchdown on 45 carries over his last three games. Facing a Jacksonville defense that allows a league-best 3.4 yards per carry, moving the ball will be an immense challenge for Baltimore and offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.
Jaguars Rolling Behind Lawrence and Ground Game
Jacksonville enters the game rested after a bye week, followed by a dominant 42-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts to improve to 5-2 and strengthen their AFC South lead. The Jaguars’ ground game shined against Indianapolis, led by Bhayshul Tuten with 16 carries for 104 yards and a score, and Chris Rodriguez with six carries for 41 yards and a touchdown. Rodriguez is active despite a hand injury in practice, while Tuten is a game-time decision due to an ankle issue.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence has excelled this season, completing 65.7% of his passes for 8.5 yards per attempt, with 17 touchdowns and four interceptions. His primary target is Parker Washington, while Jakobi Meyers, Brian Thomas Jr., and Josh Cameron serve as complementary options on the perimeter. Although Baltimore has been stingy against tight ends by allowing only 35 receptions, tight end Brenton Strange remains a threat in the red zone given that the Ravens have surrendered six touchdowns to the position.
Game Prediction
As reported by CBS Sports Headlines, the Ravens lack the personnel to compete with the Jaguars on a short week while missing their top two quarterbacks. The final prediction favors Jacksonville to secure a comfortable victory by a score of 27-6.
